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Week 9 should be fine for fantasy footballers --- as long as their players are not on bye or listed as “questionable.” Fantasy football managers will be without their Bengals, Browns, Rams and Eagles this week, so there will be plenty of talent on fantasy benches.
This bye week did not sneak up on fantasy GMs, though. The problem is the players who are banged-up and may or may not play in their games this week. You can arrange for backup plans via the waiver wire, but when you need to make an emergency pick the day of your injured guy’s game, the pickings will be slim. This is where this column comes in.
Without further ado, here are my pivot plays and post-waiver pickups for Week 9 --- and the questionable superstars who you might need to replace:
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Potential Pivot Plays for Fantasy Lineups
If Green Bay’s Aaron Jones (calf) cannot get out there on Thursday night, you could go with…
Dexter Williams (GB, RB) at SF
This is not the Williams the Packers and fantasy managers would prefer to plug into their standard and DFS lineups on Thursday night, but unfortunately Jamaal Williams is on the COVID list. This opens the door for Dexter, a sixth-round pick from the 2019 draft who has languished on the practice squad until now.
Williams is a physical between-the-tackles runner who should get the bulk of his touches on first and second down since he has now pass-catching skills whatsoever (22 receptions in four seasons at Notre Dame). You have to temper expectations since he is the fourth-string running back with average speed and was just snatched off the practice squad for this dire situation, but Williams will likely be the back getting handed the ball inside the five-yard-line if there is running play called down by the goal line. Kick returner Tyler Ervin will get his touches, especially on passing downs, but Williams could run for 40-50 yards and a TD with this golden opportunity he has.
If San Francisco’s Jordan Reed (knee) cannot be cleared in time for Thursday night, you could go with…
Ross Dwelley (SF, TE) vs. GB
Reed is 50-50 to be able to return from his knee injury on Thursday night, but fantasy managers know two things about Reed --- he is a fantasy force when he is healthy, and he is rarely healthy. Reed is not known for his quick recovery skills, which means if you had him stashed on your roster as an insurance policy for the ailing George Kittle, you better now pick up Dwelley as an additional insurance policy. Think of it as adding GEICO on top of your Progressive policy.
Dwelley has not done much for fantasy managers over his nondescript three-year career (23-175-3 in 35 games), although he caught a 16-yard TD toss this past week and had four catches for 49 yards in Week 3 when both Kittle and Reed were both out with injuries. Green Bay has the 12th-ranked pass defense in the NFL, but with the 49ers receiving corps in a shambles Dwelley should be given ample opportunities if Reed is unable to get clearance and makes for a decent desperation play for fantasy managers.
If Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin (finger) cannot find his way to the field on Sunday night, you could go with…
Jakobi Meyers (NE, WR) at NYJ
There are no decent last-minute options on New Orleans and Tampa Bay’s teams in terms of available fantasy receivers, so if you hear on Friday or Saturday that Godwin still cannot catch a Tom Brady spiral, latch onto Meyers --- New England’s de facto No. 1 receiver. Even with Cam Newton as his quarterback, Meyers can provide last-minute relief for fantasy managers with no other options.
Meyers has taken advantage of the injuries to New England’s top two wideouts, Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry, and has taken all of their targets the past two weeks. Meyers turned 16 targets into 10 receptions for 118 yards during that span and now faces New York’s 29th-ranked pass defense. Newly-acquired Isaiah Ford probably will not have an impact yet as he has to learn the Pats playbook, so no worries for Meyers there. Meyers might not give fantasy managers a 120-yard night or any 50-yard touchdowns, but a half-dozen catches for 70 yards can help in a pinch, especially in a PPR league.
If New York Jets’ Jamison Crowder (groin) cannot limp onto the field on Monday night, you could go with…
Braxton Berrios (NYJ, WR) vs. NE
When Crowder can play, Berrios becomes a non-factor since they both do their best work in the slot. When Crowder cannot play, as has been the case lately, Berrios becomes a mini-Crowder and racks up receptions like he is the second coming of Wes Welker. Berrios has accounted for 12 catches on 18 targets over the past two weeks and scored touchdowns in back-to-back games earlier in the season in Weeks 2 and 3.
New England still boasts a top-10 pass defense and might have Stephon Gilmore back in time for this contest, although Gilmore would not be matched up against Berrios in the slot. While rookie Denzel Mims, Vyncint Smith and the possibly returning Breshad Perriman will fight for targets on the outside, Berrios should see plenty of targets on the inside as long as Crowder takes another week off, which is possible since the Jets are on bye the following week.
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